Sign There
by scribeninja
Summary: Eric's POV of the events of Sign Here. Eric is a UPS delivery man who delivers packages to Sookie and starts a fling with her. But he wants more than a no-strings attached fling. AH-OOC
1. First Taste of Lemonade

**A/N:**

**Hey everyone! Remember UPS Eric? This is Eric's POV of everything that happened in Sign Here. I wrote this first chapter a long time ago, but Eric stopped talking to me so I moved on to other things. Then Sunkisz gave me a swift kick in the ass (read: guilt trip) and it just started flowing. So here's the deal: One chapter a day for 6 days since that's how many chapters there are. **

**Fair warning, there is a LOT of rehash in this along with some new stuff. If you don't like rehash, then please don't read and then complain that it feels like you've read it before. To me it feels new because we're getting Eric's perspective of these events and his feelings, and some awesome stuff with Pam! Just try to enjoy it!**

**To anyone just stumbling on this, it is not required to have read Sign Here before this. Both stories can stand on their own and this can be read before the other, it doesn't matter. **

**Big thanks to Krismom for beta'ing! You're awesome sweetie! **

**I hope you all like UPS Eric's POV!**

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**Chapter 1 - First Taste of Lemonade**

Bored housewives with their husbands' credit cards. That was who I delivered to all day long. Occasionally there was an old lady who was getting medicine for her insane amount of cats, but mostly it was bored housewives. When I was younger it was fun to think that a bunch of MILFS wanted to have their way with me. Now that I'd had more life experience and responsibility, these women kind of disgusted me. Every time one of them answered the door, especially in this heat, it was like they were undressing me with their eyes.

Luckily I was only doing the gig for another few months. There was no air conditioning in the trucks so I got quite used to sweating all day. Despite that, the women still looked at me like they'd like to ask me to come in for a glass of lemonade, and then have their way with me. I was thankful that it hadn't happened so far.

I looked at the next address on my route. It was one I hadn't delivered to yet, and I didn't recognize the name. Sookie Stackhouse. I couldn't decide if she would be an old lady or a bored housewife. I pulled up to an old farmhouse with flowerbeds and what looked like a well-kept vegetable garden. Old lady. Then I got the package. It was from Amazon. Hmm… bored housewife. Perhaps an older bored housewife.

I walked up the porch steps slowly, trying to make a final decision in my head so I could win a bet against myself. What can I say? This was my only form of entertainment while working. I knocked, and while I was waiting, I finally decided she would be an old lady. The old house, flowerbeds, and garden outweighed the Amazon box. It was entirely possible that it was a gift sent from someone else, though. I'd find out soon anyway, so I stopped speculating.

I was fully prepared to see a little, wrinkly old lady in a housedress, apron, and slippers, so when the door opened and a gorgeous young blonde woman in short shorts, and a tank top so thin I could see her polka dot bikini underneath opened the door, I thought the heat had finally gotten to me.

She was neither an old lady, or a bored housewife. For one, she didn't look like the type of person that was content with being bored, and for two, she wasn't wearing a ring.

"Hi," she said shyly, a blush creeping into her cheeks. I found myself smirking at her as she stared at me. Her eyes traveled down my body, taking all of me in, but for the first time I didn't get the feeling that a woman was really trying to imagine what was underneath, and for the first time, I wanted to show it.

"Hello," I said back, causing her to blush even more when she knew she was caught.

"You look hot," she said without thinking, and I laughed. "I meant the weather is making you hot," she rambled on, cringing.

"Of course," I said, and handed over the package. As she thanked me, I thought of something. What if she wasn't Sookie Stackhouse? What if an old lady really did live here, and this was just her granddaughter or home nurse? I pulled my electronic tablet from my belt, and hit a few buttons so that she could sign her name into it. She looked a little confused when I asked her to, but did it anyway.

"Sookie Stackhouse, huh?" I asked. "That's an interesting name."

"It is," she agreed. "And you are?"

"Eric. Eric Northman, your UPS delivery man," I said, cringing internally. I sounded like a cross between a James Bond wannabe, and an infomercial. She didn't seem to notice though, because she extended her hand for me to shake.

"Good to know," she smiled, a beautiful, genuine smile.

"I hope I have to come here more often." Jesus, I almost asked her if she had some lemonade.

"I hope so too," she said, still smiling, and still blushing.

"You have a nice day, Sookie," I said, and then got the hell out of dodge before I did anything stupid.

What the hell was wrong with me? I delivered the rest of the day's packages while thinking about Sookie. She was the only woman I've ever wanted to invite me in for lemonade, and that made me feel… strange. I wasn't sure what to think. She seemed so innocent with the blushing, but she had the body of a vixen.

I was still thinking of her smile when I went to bed that night, and I hoped for two things. That she would order something again, and that she wouldn't.

Three days later, I had finally woken up without thinking of Sookie first thing, and when I got my list of deliveries I didn't scan it for her address. I kicked myself for that a few hours later when her address came up. I wondered if she'd ordered something just to see me again, or if she just genuinely needed something.

I took a deep breath before walking up to the door, and dug deep to find that confident ladies man that I could be. Sookie opened the door wearing a thin, loose dress that showed a lot of skin.

I bit back a groan and handed over the package. "Well, fancy seeing you again so soon."

She tossed the package onto a counter, and I noticed the confident look in her eye.

"You look like you could use something to drink," she said.

"I could go for something to quench my thirst," I agreed, wanting to see what her game was. There was no way the innocent, blushing girl from a few days ago was now a full-on minx.

"Do you have time for a quickie? I mean, a quick drink," she asked, and my jaw almost dropped.

"I always have time for a quick drink," I said before I could stop myself.

"Good thing I have some fresh lemonade then. Please, come in," she said, and gestured for me to follow her.

I walked into the house behind her, and blindly followed her into the kitchen. She bent over really far to get something from the back of the fridge, and as the skirt of her dress hiked up I caught a glimpse of what wasn't under it. My heart started pounding in my chest. She wasn't wearing panties. Fuck. Me.

She handed me the full glass, and I stared into her eyes as I gulped it all down. When the last of it was gone, I knew my body was no longer taking orders from the brain upstairs. I set the glass down on the table, and wiped my mouth off. My upstairs brain had a small amount of control left, and I used that to take her in one last time while trying to force myself to walk away. Downstairs was having none of that, and before I fully realized what I was doing I had Sookie pressed against the counter as I kissed her hard.

Instantly, I felt a connection to her. I'd never felt like that while kissing anyone. I deepened the kiss, slipping my tongue into her mouth and lifting her onto the counter at the same time. She opened her knees to allow me to press myself against her, and then wrapped her legs around my waist tightly.

Suddenly, it was like a nerve ending fired in the correct head, and I pulled away.

"You have to tell me that you want this. I won't do anything you don't want," I said quickly, hoping she would take the out if she needed it. I didn't think I'd be able to stop otherwise.

"I want everything, I promise," she said evenly, and I attacked her lips again.

I pulled her against me as we kissed, and let my hands explore her voluptuous body. I'd never been lucky enough to be with a woman like this. I had known too many self-important women who thought it was attractive to be stick thin. Granted, I can't complain since I actually dated them, but it was annoying as hell to cook them breakfast and then have them refuse it because I'd used egg yolks, and then bitch that their ass was too big when it really could have used some more fat. Sookie felt like she ate egg yolks, and I loved every bit of it. A woman should have curves, something soft to caress and hold onto.

She reacted to every touch, caress, and squeeze with a moan, a pant, or a grind of her hips into mine, and when I gently rubbed her hardened nipples, she reached down and squeezed my ass. I'd never had a woman be so into my ass before, but I loved it. She massaged it for a couple minutes, and then threaded her fingers into my hair, knocking the knot I kept it in loose.

As she tugged gently on my hair, which had always been a huge turn on for me, I kissed down her neck and onto her very impressive cleavage. Unable to resist any longer, I pulled the loose fabric of her dress down to reveal her thankfully not bra-covered nipples. I took one into my mouth and gently nibbled and sucked at it, listening to her moans to figure out just what she liked, and then I did the same to the other.

She began to tug on my hair just enough that I finally lost it. I had to taste her. I knew it wasn't the smartest thing to do health-wise somewhere in the back of my mind, but I justified it later that she didn't seem like the type to be doing this sort of thing often, if ever.

I dropped hard to my knees, and lifted the skirt of her dress. Her thighs rested on my shoulders as I spread her open and took one long lick up the length of her glistening folds. Distantly I heard a dull thud, but I didn't stop to find out what it was. She tasted too good for me to ever stop.

She moaned and panted, pressing against the back of my head with her hands as I fucked her with my tongue. I got the sense that she was close, so I closed my lips around her swollen bundle of nerves, and slid a finger into her, pumping a few times before curling until I found her sensitive spot.

Sookie screamed my name as she pulsed around my finger, which I quickly withdrew and replaced with my tongue, lapping up all of her juices. After several seconds I realized what I'd just done, and slowly began setting her back to rights. I covered her beautiful breasts once more, and then picked my hair tie up from where it landed on the floor to put my hair back into its knot.

"What are you doing?" she panted.

"I have other deliveries to make," I said, and then I licked my lips, remembering her taste.

"But you … you can't just … what about you?" she rambled, and I felt my dick and my heart swell at the realization that she wanted to give me pleasure just as much as she wanted her own.

I stepped up to her again, placing my hands on her hips as I gave her a tender kiss. Even I was surprised at the emotion I already felt when kissing her. I really, really liked this woman.

I pulled away before we got too into it, and whispered, "I'll be fine." Though, I wasn't sure if I was reassuring her or myself more. I know my cock didn't feel all that reassured.

Before she could say anything in response, I broke away from her and walked out of the house. I could only hope that she would order something again, because I already missed her.


	2. Baby Bird, I Am Not

**A/N:**

**Here's chapter 2! I wanted to get it out to everyone before the show comes on tonight and y'all are more interested in a nude Viking than Mr. UPS here ;) Early-morning-before-work update FTW! I'm sorry to those of you whose reviews I haven't replied to yet, I'll try and get to everyone after work!  
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**Again, thanks to Krismom for beta'ing! You rock! Eric and his main man love you! **

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**Chapter 2 - Baby Bird, I Am Not**

I drove away from Sookie's house as fast as I could so that I wouldn't convince myself to turn back, and then I pulled over on a side road. My dick was throbbing in my pants, and I could still smell her on my hands and face. God, she was delicious.

Since I wasn't going to take care of my problem on the side of a road in broad daylight, I tried to think of unappealing things to get the blood flow back to my brain. It ended up taking almost fifteen minutes of trying to do a complex math problem in my head, but my erection finally subsided.

I finished the rest of my deliveries, took the truck back to headquarters, and went home. I had two aching balls to relieve. The first thing I did was strip down and get into a cold shower to soothe my hot skin. I washed off in the cold water, and then raised the temperature as my thoughts drifted back to Sookie. All the blood rushed to my main man once more, and this time he would be relieved.

As I firmly grasped myself and began to stroke, I thought about the way Sookie looked in that dress, all that smooth, tan, kissable skin. The memory of the way her nipples felt in my mouth, and the taste of her sent me over the edge, and I came harder than I had in recent months.

After cleaning up once more, I got out of the shower and went to the kitchen to make myself some dinner. Problem? I saw the kitchen counter and got flashes of what I'd just done to Sookie on one a matter of hours ago.

I called for pizza.

That night I dreamed of Sookie on that counter, only we went much, much further than what happened in reality. When I woke up the next morning with a hard-on, it was like a switch flipped in my head. I wanted her. I decided that if she ordered something again, I would ask her out on a date.

So you can imagine my surprise and elation when I scanned my list and found Sookie's address at the bottom. It meant that she either ordered something for next day delivery in hopes of seeing me again, or she already had something coming. I really, really hoped it was the former.

I was nervous the whole day about seeing Sookie again so soon, but remained firm in my resolve. I was going to apologize for attacking her, and ask her on a date. I'd never met a girl that had been in my head this much, and frankly, I didn't want her to leave it.

It was late afternoon when I finally drove up to Sookie's house, and when I arrived I saw that she was sitting out on her porch. I took her in as I walked up the steps, trying to remember the resolution I'd set. But she looked so beautiful sitting there in her dress, her hair up in a simple pony tail, no make up on. Why had I not met this woman before?

As though my cock had a mind of its own and remembered that the only woman in close proximity was the one that made it happy the day before, it began to harden. By the time I stood in front of her, I knew I had a noticeable bulge.

"Miss Stackhouse," I said as I handed her the package.

"Eric," she said, and took it from me. "Thirsty?"

I could only nod.

"Do you have any other deliveries to make today?" she asked, and I shook my head.

_Ask her out. Apologize. Ask her out._

"Please sit down then," she said with a beautiful smile, and gestured to the spot on the swing next to her.

I took a breath so I could start the apology part, but she got up and went inside. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to stay there or follow her, but I had taken that breath to say something and I was going to use it. She was just closing the refrigerator door when I walked into the kitchen, and I stopped to lean against the door frame. Memories of the day before flooded me and I suddenly wanted nothing more than to devour her.

She walked up to me and handed me a glass of lemonade, brushing her hand against mine as she did. I downed the glass, never taking my eyes from her, and when I was done she took it from me and walked over to the sink with it. I followed her.

"What are you doing to me?" I asked as I gripped her hips and pressed myself against her.

"I could ask you the same thing," she said, and I turned her around quickly.

"What are we doing?"

"We're having fun," she said, and then she kissed me.

I tried to be gentle with her even though I just wanted to toss her onto the counter or bend her over the table. Those thoughts made me pause.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked.

"Yes," she breathed.

I smiled, and this time when I kissed her I was much less restrained, and in response she pressed her hips against mine and swiveled them. The movement seemed to make something fire in my brain, and I groaned.

"I don't have any condoms," I said.

"Shit! I don't either. Fuck, I haven't had sex in two years so even if I did they're probably no good. Dammit!"

"You haven't had sex in two years?"

"Did I say that out loud?" she asked, her cheeks bright red. I nodded and smirked, feeling quite glad that she had. I didn't like that she was embarrassed about it, so I decided to show her how much I didn't care. My fingers started to play with the skirt of her dress.

"I suppose I could always do a repeat of yesterday," I said, backing her into the counter.

"Oh no you don't," she said, and put her palm flat on my chest as she pushed me away. "Follow me."

I followed her into the living room and watched her bring up a website. It took me a second to realize what she was buying.

"So, tell me… what size do I need to get?" she asked. I cleared my throat, a bit uncomfortable with the casualness with which she was treating this conversation.

"Don't be embarrassed. My ex wasn't that big, so it's not like you have anything to live up to," she said.

Oh really… I snorted, and pointed to the box of magnums.

"Are you serious?"

"Quite," I said. "And since your ex wasn't very big, I'm a bit worried about you being able to take it."

"As long as you're careful, I think I'll be fine," she smiled, and finished ordering the condoms. I noticed that she set the shipping for one day. She stood up and pushed me back onto the couch, then straddled my lap as she kissed me. I really wanted nothing more than to kiss her all night, but reality hit me. If we didn't have condoms, then I should get going. I needed time to think and regroup. The initial asking her out plan didn't seem like the right approach even though that's what I wanted to do.

"Sookie, I'm sorry, but if we can't do anything, then maybe I should leave."

"Who said we can't do anything?" she asked. "You pleased me yesterday, so now I get to please you. I'm not saying you're getting a blow job, because for one, I've never done that before and don't want to screw it up, and two, I don't know if you're clean. Safety first."

"You seem an awful lot like a minx for someone who claims to be so innocent," I said.

"Maybe I'm tired of being innocent," she said, and it really clicked. She was innocent, and this whole thing was her trying to step out of her comfort zone. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about being the person she was using to take this leap with.

"I know you have no reason to believe me, but I am clean. I just got tested a few months ago."

"But have you been with anyone since?" she asked.

"Just you, Sookie."

"Well, you're still not getting a blowjob. Especially if you're packing Magnum. I'll choke."

I laughed. "No you wouldn't, but I won't ask you to do anything you aren't comfortable with."

"You know what I am comfortable with?" she asked as she unbuttoned my shorts and lowered my zipper.

"What's that," I asked.

"Hand jobs," she smirked.

She lifted her hips so I could as well, and pulled down my shorts and boxers, and then she sad back on my thighs.

She stared right into my eyes, almost like she was afraid to look at my business. It took her a few moments to gather the courage, but she finally looked, and the expression that came upon her face was perplexing.

"What's with the look?" I asked.

"You'll think I'm stupid."

"No, I won't."

"It's just… I always thought penises in general were pretty ugly. You know, veiny, fleshy, just kinda all around gross looking."

What a strange conversation to be having with the woman who was about to give me a hand job.

"Mine too?" I asked.

"Well, no. You don't have the bush of dark hair that my ex had, and he had so much and such a small penis that it looked like a baby bird waiting for its mother to bring it a worm."

I couldn't help it. I burst into laughter. That was by far the best description of a penis I'd ever heard.

"I don't mean to make fun of him or anything, because to a man, having a small dick is like a disability. But the way you describe it?" I started laughing again, and Sookie smacked my shoulder.

"That's enough," she giggled. "Why don't we talk about yours again?"

"I'm okay with that," I said, grasping her hips.

She seemed at a loss for words. "It's very nice."

"Nice? That's all?" I asked.

"I feel weird talking about it now, I'd rather show you how much I like it," she said.

"By all means, don't let me stop you."

She got into the end table and came back with a small bottle of lotion. She put a small amount into her palm, and then warmed it by rubbing her hands together. When she grasped my erection she looked me right in the eyes, but I had to close mine from the relief I felt.

As she stroked me, her other hand began to unbutton my shirt slowly.

"What are you doing?" I asked, straining to form words.

"I don't think you want come stains on your shirt when you go back to wherever you go when you leave here," she said. "Plus, this gives me access to your nipples."

With that, she leaned down and took one into her mouth while her hand kept up it's rhythmic stroking. I moaned when she used her teeth lightly, and pressed her head against me, encouraging her to bite, and when she did, I let her know just how much I liked it. She tightened her grip on my cock and added a twist to the upstroke while she repeated her actions on my other nipple.

Her mouth moved up my neck, nibbling and licking, and then sucking hard enough to mark me, which I loved. Her other hand began to gently play with my balls. Jesus fuck, this woman was a goddess.

The pressure began deep down, and as her hand began to move faster she added a thumb rub at just the right spot, and I was dangerously close to exploding. My hips started to move involuntarily, thrusting into her grasp, and my breathing was coming out in harsh pants.

"I'm about to come," I warned her.

She sat back, tightened her grip on me, and then she moved her other hand underneath my balls and pressed her knuckles against the muscle there. Talk about instant satisfaction. I'm not sure what came out of my mouth as I came, but I yelled something while I made a mess of my stomach.

While I came down from the high, Sookie continued to stroke me, and the look in her eyes almost had me thinking that she was off on her own high. When she finally registered that I was looking at her, she stopped and quickly got off of me, and left the room.

It took me a second to realize that she'd just bolted, but when I did I was annoyed. She'd just given me the best hand job I'd ever received, better even than any blow job I'd ever gotten, and then she just up and left the room. I didn't like it. I looked around and spotted some tissues that I attempted to clean myself up with.

"Here, this will work better," Sookie said, startling me.

She smiled and got on her knees in front of me, and then she cleaned me off with a wet paper towel. I watched her face the whole time, trying to figure out what she was thinking, but she wouldn't look at me. When she finished cleaning me up, she threw the paper towel away, and buttoned my shirt back up, but left the top few undone like I had them. I put my hands on her shoulders when she started to get up.

"Thank you," I said.

"It was my pleasure," she replied, and then stood, turned around and acted like she was straightening some things on the coffee table. I knew she was giving me time to dress while she wasn't looking. I was tucking my shirt back in when she turned around again.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked.

"That's it?"

"Well, yeah. That's how no-strings-attached screwing goes. We get off, and then we go our separate ways. No strings."

"Are you really okay with that?" I asked. I sure as shit wasn't. I wanted strings. I wanted it all.

"Of course I am."

I wasn't so sure of that, but maybe this was just what I needed to do. I didn't think she'd be doing this with anyone else, she didn't seem like the type. Maybe this was the way to get her. Have her get used to me sexually, and then I could ask her out on a real date.

"I'll see you again tomorrow then," I said with a nod, and started for the door. Just as I was walking through it, I had a naughty thought and turned around. "Sookie… don't wear panties tomorrow."

The look on her face did everything to reassure me that my plan would work. I couldn't wait to deliver those condoms tomorrow.


	3. NonIntimate Couch Sex and Cuddling

**A/N:**

**Just woke up, so here's your update! Thank you all for reading and reviewing, they're really making my day right now. Well, they do every time, but especially right now :) I hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

**Mad props to Krismom for her beta skills! **

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**Chapter 3 - Non-Intimate Couch Sex and Cuddling**

I tossed and turned all night because I couldn't stop thinking about what I was going to do with Sookie. I found myself conflicted about it. Yes, I wanted to have sex with her. Not only had it been a while for me, I also wanted it because I wanted her. Sookie was a beautiful woman, and I was very attracted to her, but she also seemed smart and funny, not to mention the innocence she radiated.

I never used to be attracted to innocence because I preferred a woman who knew what she was doing and didn't tend to be clingy. Now I had a seemingly innocent girl that was already better than any experienced one I'd been with, and she was the exact opposite of clingy. I was having trouble wrapping my head around it.

And it's not like I was a slut or anything. I'd only actually been with six women, but they were all women who had multiple partners before me and I knew exactly what they wanted from me, and I was okay with that since it didn't matter. I didn't want much but sex from them either. We were usually just in a "relationship" so that we were exclusive, not out of deep feelings for one another.

So why did I want a true relationship from Sookie? Why did I want to take her on dates, introduce her to my friends, be introduced to hers? Why did I dream of her in my kitchen, cooking breakfast, barefoot and pregnant, telling me she loved me?

I was fucked.

Nervous didn't even begin to describe how I felt while working the next day. I knew I would deliver to Sookie last, and with every package delivered I was one closer to having sex with her. I was actually so nervous that I feared performance anxiety.

Sookie wasn't outside when I got to her house, so I went to the door and knocked. She didn't answer right away, and I knocked again. Did she have second thoughts? Why did it bother me so much? In the middle of my third knock the door was pulled open quickly by a dripping wet Sookie wrapped in a very short towel.

Well… that explains it.

"Hi," she said. "Sorry about my appearance, I was cleaning and lost track of time, and then I realized how dirty I'd gotten. I suppose it doesn't matter anyway since I'm just going to get all sweaty again."

Interestingly enough, I believed every word, and I don't think I would have had she been anyone else.

"Hi," I said in response to her ramble, very much enjoying the view as I did.

"Have a seat on the couch, I'll be right back," she said as she stepped back to let me in, and then took off down the hall.

I sat on the edge of the couch, nervously turning the package over in my hands until I heard her enter the room again. I stood up and she took the package from me and walked to her desk. She seemed to be wearing nothing but a silk robe. I watched her open the package and after a few moments she turned around with one condom and a smile. I grinned at her as she walked back to me.

"Shoes," she said as she set the condom down on the coffee table, and then she began undoing my shorts. I kicked my shoes off, then unbuttoned and pulled my shirt off as she pushed my shorts and boxers to the floor. It may have been the most direct way a woman had ever gotten me naked. I stepped out of the pile of clothes at my feet and untied her robe before helping it fall off her shoulders to join the rest of the fabric on the floor.

Seeing her completely naked for the first time was almost overwhelming, and I reacted purely on instinct when I pulled her against me and kissed her. My hands made their way to her butt and massaged it, causing her to moan and put her hands into my hair and pull my knot out. I'd say the long hair thing turned her on.

"Bed?" I asked, and she shook her head.

"Too intimate. Couch," she said, and pushed me down onto it.

"You don't like intimacy?" I asked.

She straddled my lap. "There is no intimacy in an arrangement like this, and doing it in my room, on my bed, is too intimate. Although, I suppose we could use the guest room eventually."

She couldn't stop surprising and confusing me. "You are one unique creature Miss Stackhouse," I said.

She grinned and leaned backwards a bit to grab the condom. She was about to open it so I took it from her and set in down on the cushion next to me.

"What are you doing? I'm ready," she said.

"Oh, no you're not," I replied, and moved my hand between her legs.

A small gasp escaped her lips when I touched her, and her hands gripped my shoulders when I slid a finger into her warm, wet heat. She felt amazing around my finger, and after pumping her a few times I added a second one and used my thumb on her clit. Sookie seemed to be trembling as I worked her with my hand. She was hot and tight and I could hardly wait to be inside her. Her breasts were at just the right height so I took one nipple into my mouth and played with her other one with my free hand. I could feel her begin to clench around my fingers so I would slow down my fingers until she was just panting again, and then I'd pick up speed and do it again.

"Please, Eric. I'm ready," she moaned.

There was no way I was holding off any longer. She was more than ready. I relished in the groan that came from her when I pulled my fingers from her. I grabbed the condom and ripped it open using my teeth, then rolled it on. Sookie lifted her hips, grasped me, and placed me at her entrance.

"Are you ready?" she asked with a grin.

Oh, I'd show her I was ready. I chuckled a bit and pushed my hips up just enough to enter her a little. Her grin quickly melted off her face, and then she began to lower herself onto me. I put my hands on her hips to keep the pace slow, not only for her sake, but for mine. She was just way too tight.

Sookie rocked her hips slowly, and by the time I was halfway in she was panting and I was fighting to keep my eyes open because all I wanted was to clench them shut at the pleasure I felt. Instead, I kept my gaze locked with hers, trying to project my emotions onto her. She kept working me inside of her, and by the time I was all the way in we were both breathing heavily. I rubbed her back until she felt comfortable enough to move, and when she did I let out a groan.

"Oh my god."

She felt so fucking good. This girl that exuded innocence could clench her muscles and squeeze me so tight I felt like I would burst at any second. One thing was certain, I needed to get some control, and I needed to get it fast.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, and flipped her over so that she was on her back on the couch. I hitched her legs up around my waist and began to thrust deeply at an angle I'd perfected, and hoped would work on her. When she began to moan at a certain point during every thrust I knew I was hitting her spot just right. She thrust her hips up to meet mine each time and I was quickly on the verge of falling apart because of it, so I picked up my speed and used my thumb on her clit.

"Come, Sookie," I told her, like I thought it would make her do it. Then she did, which shocked the fuck out of me. Her muscles clenched me tightly, sending a rippling pleasure through me, and with one last thrust I came, dropping my head to her neck and groaning into it.

We laid there for a minute, and when I finally got my senses back I pulled out of her warmth and removed the condom. I wiped myself off, pulled my boxers and shorts back on, and then I climbed back on top of a still dazed looking Sookie.

I kissed her breasts, her shoulders, her neck, licking her sweet sweat away tenderly. I couldn't help it. I'm a man that loves to snuggle.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Snuggling," I smiled, and laid my head on her chest.

"No," she said.

"No?" I asked. What woman said no to snuggling?

"No," she repeated. "This is fuck buddies. It's orgasms and "see ya." So… see ya," she said in a firm voice.

"No," I said. That shit would not fly with me.

"No?" she asked in disbelief.

"I'm okay with the fuck buddies thing, but we can snuggle. So I either leave now, and this doesn't happen again, or we get to snuggle a little bit after every time," I said, brokering no room for argument. I could see on her face that she was stuck.

"Okay, fine. We can cuddle, but no more than ten minutes," she said, which was fine by me, so I settled back onto her chest.

"Jesus, you're like a woman," she laughed.

After a minute or two, Sookie was running her fingers through my hair, and I was stroking her thigh.

"So tell me something," I said.

"Hmm?"

"Why are you no longer with the ex?"

She sat up abruptly, forcing me to as well. "Seriously? Do I really have to say it again?"

"Come on, Sookie. If we're going to fuck regularly, I'd like to know some things about you." That, and I need to figure you out so I can date you.

"I don't know."

"How about a tit for tat deal? You tell me something, I tell you something."

"Fair enough," she said.

"Okay then. I want to know what the story is with your ex."

"Not much of a story," she sighed. "We met when he moved to town about four years ago. He asked me out, we dated for a while, and then I found out that he had a wife and a couple of kids in another state. He always traveled on business, and was leading one of those double lived you only hear about on TV."

No fucking way.

"Are you joking?"

"Nope. No joke. I confronted him about it after I found a picture of him with his family tucked away in his wallet and threatened to tell his wife, but he promised to leave and I thought perhaps it was better for her to live in ignorance."

Holy shit, she was telling the truth. I had no idea shit like that really happened.

"Was that wrong of me?" she asked suddenly. "I hated the man, but I couldn't justify ruining three other lives in the attempt to ruin his."

"No, it wasn't wrong of you. If you knew her it would be a different story, but you didn't," I told her. I believed that too. Not many women would go through something like that and not seek vengeance.

"Now what about my question?" she asked with a grin.

Bring it on. But before she did, I needed to cover up her breasts. I sat up and picked her robe up off the floor and helped her into it.

"Covering me up?" she asked.

"Your breasts are distracting," I said, and then laid back on the couch, resting my head on the armrest. Sookie got up and straddled my waist, and I stretched out my legs. "So, what's your question?"

She seemed to be thinking about it, as if she was unsure what she wanted ask for fear of it crossing her too-personal line. I reached up to take hold of her hips, just to be touching her, and her eyes went right to the tattoo I had on my forearm. She reached out and ran her fingertips over it with a small smile on her lips.

"What does your tattoo mean?" she asked.

I smiled. I liked this question. She didn't know it now, but it did go into that personal territory.

"It says, ångrar ingenting, which is Swedish for regret nothing."

"You're Swedish?"

"My mother was. She raised me in Stockholm until I was six, and she taught me English as a second language. When she died I came to America to be raised by my father."

"I'm so sorry you lost your mother," she said sincerely.

"It's okay," I said, giving her a reassuring smile. "I have a few good memories of her. When I turned seventeen I received a letter from her that she'd written when she found out about her cancer. The last words in it were, _'You must promise me that no matter what path you take in your life, you will regret nothing. Everything happens for a reason.' _When I turned eighteen I wanted to get a tattoo, and I was trying to figure something out when I remembered the words. I wrote it down for the artist, and she said she could do it in my handwriting."

"That's your handwriting?" she asked. "It's beautiful."

"Thank you," I said. This was just what I wanted, a personal moment between us, but just as I was relishing in it, Sookie got a look on her face, like she was worried. "It's okay to know things about each other, Sookie. We have to be able to trust each other."

"I trust you," she said.

"I trust you too."

"Good," she smiled.

"Good."

"Okay, I think cuddle and question time is over," she said as she got up. I stood up as well and grabbed my shirt to put it on. Sookie stood there and watched me, and the situation suddenly felt awkward.

"When will this happen again?" I asked.

"Well, I probably shouldn't do any more personal shopping for the month… or for a couple of months."

I frowned. Two months of no Sookie after the amazing sex we'd just had?

"But," she continued, "I thought of that this morning. I'm a computer programmer slash web developer, and with the side work I do I often get things sent via Fed-ex, but I put out a request to ship everything UPS."

My frown quickly turned into a huge grin. This meant she wouldn't always control when I got to come see her, and that boded well for me.

"So, things will be coming to me often. I guess we'll just have to see what kind of mood we're in when I get a delivery."

"I can promise you that I will _always_ be in the mood," I informed her as I put my shoes back on.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" she asked with a short laugh.

"Because it shouldn't."


	4. Truth Will Out

**A/N:**

**So here's that restaurant chapter everyone wanted. Sunkisz, I hope you enjoy it! Also, I love Pam hard, and I hope you do too :)**

**More thanks to Krismom, my speedy, fuckawesome beta. And to f_n_t who makes an appearance here, even if only in name. Lastly to all the twitter girls to debated with me about the word "tryst" :)  
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**Chapter 4 - Truth Will Out**

For the next three months I was as sexually satisfied as I'd ever been in my life. Emotionally, not so much. I tried to cast my feelings aside and just enjoy the time I got with Sookie, but the more I saw her, the deeper my feelings for her became. We had around two or three trysts a week, and each time they got hotter. She even expressed interest in role-playing during one of our post-coital snuggle sessions, so the next time I delivered I kept up the sexual innuendo and porn talk. Let's just say that Sookie really, really liked role-playing.

Since starting my thing with Sookie my mood improved so much that my best friend called me out on it when she came over before our weekly dinner.

"Okay, spill. Who's sucking you off regularly?" she asked after her second glass of pre-dinner wine.

"Pam…"

"Oh, shut it. You've been in such a great mood lately, and that only ever happens when you're getting laid regularly. This time though, you actually seem happy along with your good mood, so something's different."

"Way to get right to the point, Pam. How's Hillari, by the way?"

Hillari was Pam's on/off girlfriend, and she hated for me to bring her up when they were on an off phase. Never to be deterred, Pam simply smirked and waited for me to answer.

"Okay, you got me. I am getting laid regularly, but that's all I want to say."

In response she simply arched one eyebrow. I sighed.

"It's no one you know."

"So it's not another one of those money hungry socialite-wannabe whores?"

"She doesn't even know that I have money, I haven't told her yet," I said with regret. I really needed to tell her.

"Doesn't she know your name? Everyone knows the Northman name."

"Yes, she knows my name, but she's not from Shreveport."

Pam was silent for a moment, which was never a good thing. It was fascinating to see the clues fitting together in her head like a puzzle, and when she snapped in the last piece a look of triumph lit up her face.

"You're fucking some backwater MILF on your delivery route!"

"She's not a MILF, Pam, and she's not backwater either."

"Oh my god, you bitch! I can't believe you're having hot porn sex on your delivery route and I'm in a dry spell."

"Pam? In a dry spell?"

"Don't change the subject. How long has this been going on?"

"'Bout three months," I said. Three delicious, wonderful months.

"Are you in love with her?"

"I'm in something with her," I said. I was falling. Hard.

"Now for the most important question. Every time you _make a delivery_, do you say, 'I've got a package here for ya,' suggestively?"

"Pam…" I sighed. "Get your purse, we've got reservations."

She laughed, grabbed her purse, and followed me out of the house. "Wait, wait… have you ever said, 'You're gonna need a dolly for a package this big.' Or, oh my god…"

"Shut up."

Pam kept it up on the drive to the restaurant, and by the time we got there I was laughing along with her. It was amazing the amount of porn lines you could get out of the delivery situation. Thanks to our reservations, and probably my last name, we were seated right away. We gave our drink orders, and as we were looking over the menu Pam turned the conversation serious.

"So explain the happy," Pam said. "I've never seen you smile as much as you have lately, and I'm guessing it's got something to do with this delivery route hottie."

"I'm falling for her. She says she wants no strings, just a good time a few times a week. Thing is, she was screwed over really bad by her ex and I think she's just protecting herself."

"Are you sure you don't want her just because she's the first girl that hasn't wanted a relationship from you? And how do you know that she just doesn't want you because of your job? Do you think her tune would change if she knew who you really were?"

"She knows who I really am, Pam. She knows me, without all the money and society crap. I mean, it would be great to know that she wants me just as a delivery driver, but she's kind of hell-bent on this no-strings thing, and it's not because of my job. I wish you could meet her. She's funny, kind, beautiful, smart… on second thought, I don't want you to meet her."

"Afraid she'd fall for me? I am quite irresistible," Pam smirked. "Look, I'll just do what I do best and speak my mind. I think you're in love with her, for the right reasons, and I think you should tell her that, and the truth about yourself."

"I'll tell her. I have to anyway, the gig's up in a week."

At that exact moment, a server walked by with a huge tray of food, and I glanced up to find myself looking right at Sookie Stackhouse. At first I was shocked to be seeing the very person I was talking about, but after a few seconds I realized that not only was she really there, and looking quite breathtaking, but she was also crying.

Instinct kicked in, and all I wanted to do was comfort her, so I began to stand up so I could wrap my arms around her, but then another woman took Sookie's hand and pulled her away and out the door. I was dumbfounded.

"Eric?" Pam asked, and turned to see what I was staring at. "What the hell? Sit down."

I fell back into the chair and tried to figure out what just happened.

"That was Sookie," I said.

"What's a Sookie?"

"Sookie is her name, Pam. I looked up and she was standing there, crying. Another woman pulled her out the door."

"You idiot, go after her!"

"What? Why?"

"I guess it's probably too late now anyway," she sighed. "You are a stupid bitch when it comes to women. You said she's hell-bent on the no strings thing?"

"Yeah, what's your point?"

"You're a good guy, and I'd bet anything that you're treating this as anything but a fuck buddies situation. She's probably falling for you just as much as you are for her, and you said she's the one pushing the no-strings stuff right?"

I nodded.

"So she's falling for you, and then she sees you out with a hot woman in a nice restaurant. That's gotta sting, no matter how much she seemed to be for no-strings."

"You don't see her when we're together. I had to negotiate snuggling, Pam," I whispered, and Pam snorted.

"I don't care, if a woman is crying in a restaurant it's because someone just died, or she's heartbroken."

When I didn't reply, Pam continued.

"I'm guessing there's nothing you can do about it right now, so just talk to her next time you see her. Let's have dinner, and we'll skip the movie tonight."

I took a deep breath. Hopefully I'd still get the chance to talk to Sookie. She had certainly been upset about something, but I couldn't wrap my head around the idea of her having feelings for me as I did for her.

During my last week working for UPS, I didn't get to deliver one package to Sookie. I was more than a little pissed and confused about that, so I waited a few more days before I finally got the balls to go and see her. It was strange to drive up to her house in my car, wearing non-brown clothes. Sookie answered the door after a couple knocks, and looked shocked to see me.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you working?" she asked.

"I haven't seen you in a while, and I'm beginning to get the feeling it's because of that night at the restaurant. We need to talk."

"Come in," she said with a sigh, and stepped to the side as I walked past her. "Can I get you something to drink?"

She was in hostess mode. That wasn't a good thing.

"No, thank you," I said, and sat on the couch. She came in after me and sat in the chair off to the side. "You can't even sit next to me?" I asked, not hiding my annoyance.

"What do you need to say to me?"

"Let's start with why I haven't delivered anything for the last week and half."

"Because I don't want anymore deliveries from you," she said.

Ouch.

"Why? Is this because of what happened at the restaurant?"

"Yes and no," she said, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"Don't give me that woman bullshit, Sookie. Just tell me what happened."

"Fine. Yes, it's because of what happened that night. I didn't like seeing you with another woman, but I have no right to be upset about it because it's what we agreed to. You can be with other women, and I can be with other men."

"Have you been with other men?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"No, I haven't, but I'll admit that my friend and I were going to go dancing that night, and I was open to the idea of getting back into dating."

Fuck. I hated how much jealousy I felt, and found myself a bit bitter over it.

"So then what's the problem?"

"The problem is that I didn't like it," she said. "Even though I had no right to be upset, the fact remains that I was still upset. Somewhere in all my trying to not get attached to you, I did, and I fell for you."

One look at her, and I knew she wasn't lying. How had I not seen it before? Oh, right, because before now feelings weren't to be talked about.

"That's why this can't continue. I can't have a no-strings-attached relationship with you because there are strings now, or at least I want there to be."

Well that did it. Might as well come out with it now and hope like hell she didn't still push me away.

"I have feelings for you too," I said.

"No."

"Yes," I insisted, and got on my knees in front of her. She closed her eyes, so I put my hand on her knee. "Why can't I have feelings for you?" She didn't answer, and that's when the only reason I could think of reared it's ugly head. "Is it because of my job?"

"What?" she asked, clearly surprised by the question.

"Do you not want to have a relationship with me because I'm just a delivery driver?"

"No! Eric," she began, cradling my face in her gentle hands. "Eric, I would love you if you were a convenience store clerk or a fast food drive through employee. Your job doesn't matter to me."

I felt such joy when she said that, I thought I would burst at the seams.

"There's something I need to tell you," I said as I took her hands.

"I don't know if I want to hear it."

"No, you need to know. Sookie… I'm not really a delivery driver," I said, and hoped she would hear me out.

"Explain," she said in a cold tone.

"I used to be a delivery driver. It was a while ago, about four years. The guy who runs the branch needed a driver because the one he had quit early, and the one he had lined up wasn't able to quit his job yet. I'm very good friends with the boss and he asked if I would fill in for a few months. My filling in ended yesterday and I planned on telling you last week."

"Easy for you to say now," she said, pulling her hands from mine. I should have known she'd do this. She wanted a reason to not be with me, and I just gave it to her.

"Don't do that. I was going to tell you."

"What am I supposed to say? This is the very reason that it doesn't matter if you have feelings for me too. I can't trust you."

"Yes, you can."

"No. Even before your little confession my answer was going to be the same."

"Why?"

"Because you were out with another woman."

If this came down to that issue, I wasn't so sure I wanted her to accept me.

"So what? You admitted you were going to be into meeting guys that night, and you can't say now that nothing would have happened," I said and stood up as my anger grew.

"I know that! That's why I'm not going to say it. I like to think nothing would have happened, but I can't say for sure. I'm just saying that if you could date another woman while you had feelings for me, then it would always be in the back of my mind. I can't trust you."

What a piss-poor excuse.

"So let me get all this straight. You love me, and I love you, but we can't be together because I wasn't up front that I was only going to be a delivery man for a while, and because you saw me having dinner with another woman, both of which give you reason to believe that you can't trust me. Is that right?"

"Yes, that's right," she said, but I could tell that even she could see the ridiculousness of it all. I'm not going to lie, it fucking hurt.

"Well," I began. "I suppose there's nothing else I can do to convince you that this can work. Since that's the case I guess I can tell you that the woman I was with wasn't my date. She's my oldest friend, the closest thing I have to family, and also a lesbian."

She hung her head, unable to look at me. She screwed up, and she knew it. Part of me wanted to tell her it was okay, that we could still work this out, but the other part of me just saw that she was desperate not to love me.

"I'm sorry this turned out the way it did," I said.

Then I turned around, walked out of her house, got into my car, and drove out of her life.


	5. Paper Hearts

**A/N:**

**I wanted to let everyone know that on the end of the next chapter there will be an additional epilogue drabble that is completely new, and was not in Sign Here. Thanks you to everyone who's reading! I know re-hash sucks to get through sometimes. *hugs***

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**Chapter 5 - Paper Hearts**

Almost two miserable weeks of avoiding Pam, all responsibility, and good personal hygiene, my friend came into my bedroom and threw a cup of cold water on my head.

"Pam! What the fuck?" I yelled as I jumped out of bed.

"I don't care what you do, or how you do it, but fix it," she said.

"Fix what?"

"This stupid rut you're in. Nobody died, Eric. There's no reason for you to lay in bed all day watching cartoons, not showering, and living off delivery pizza for sustenance. Get out of bed, take a shower, brush your goddamn teeth, and either get her back or move on."

With that said, Pam turned on her four-inch heel and left, slamming my bedroom door shut behind her.

"Bitch," I muttered.

She was right, and I knew it. I hadn't realized how much I really had loved Sookie until I left her house that day. I thought about going to see her, but I couldn't. All I could think about was how desperate she was to not be in a relationship with me, even with her feelings.

The more immature part of my wanted her to come to me, but after a few days I realized that she had no way of contacting me. She didn't know where I lived, my phone number, my job, and I didn't have a social networking site profile, so it wasn't like she could find me that way.

Maybe that was why I had slid so far into a funk. I knew that if any kind of reconciliation happened it had to be me to make the first move, and I wasn't sure I wanted my heart stomped on again.

One thing was for sure though, something needed to change. Pam was right, I couldn't keep living like this, and when it came down to my two options; get her back, or move on, I knew which one had to happen.

I was going to get her back.

First thing I had to deal with was my personal hygiene, so I took a long, hot shower, shaved the beard I'd grown, and brushed my teeth. It was amazing how much better I felt after all that. I pulled my bedspread off and threw the sheets in the washer, and then I went to the kitchen and fixed myself a real breakfast.

When I had nothing else to distract me from what needed to be done, I sat down at the desk in my office and tried to figure out how to get Sookie back. I didn't want to go see her, and I didn't have her phone number, so all I had to work with was her address. Send her a letter? She told me once that she loved cheesy grand gestures, but I didn't have a clue what to send her. I thought over our conversations, starting at the beginning. She'd wanted no strings, but I didn't. I wanted her heart, with strings attached to mine.

That was when it hit me. It may have been schmaltzy, but I knew she'd love it. I had to drive to the store to get the supplies I needed, and then I went home to figure out just what I would say. While I figured that out, I took the construction paper I'd bought and cut out a large heart, then I punched holes into it all around the edges. The string was tied into the holes, and then it was just up to me to figure out what to say.

I picked up my pen and wrote:

_Sookie,_

_I love you, and I can't get you out of my head or my heart. So I'm giving it to you… with strings attached. Please keep it safe. It would be a shame for it to break again. _

_Love,_

_Eric_

I flipped over the heart and wrote my phone number down for her. I wouldn't include my address because I wanted her to call first. It would have been a bit too much if I'd told her where I lived and she still never showed up.

The folded up heart went into a small package so that she'd notice it in her mail more than just an envelope. I took it to the post office after that, and then went to see Pam. She was quite proud of me, and made me promise to move on if Sookie didn't call within a week.

Fortunately I didn't have to worry about that because the morning I knew she was going to receive the heart she called. I'd been next to my phone all morning waiting, and my heart nearly stopped when it rang.

"Hello?"

"I need your address," was the first thing she said, and I smiled as I gave it to her.

"I'll be there in two hours," she said, and then the call cut off.

With a big ass grin, I set my phone down, and then picked it up again.

"What do you want?" Pam growled into the phone. She hated being called in the morning.

"I'm canceling our dinner plans tonight. Sookie called, and she's coming over, so stay away from my house."

"Thank fuck. Make sure you get some, you'll feel better."

"Planned on it, Pam. Why don't you do the same?" I asked, and then hung up. She was always less snarky when she was getting laid.

While I waited for Sookie to arrive I made sure my house looked decent for her. As the time dragged on I got so nervous that I started straightening everything. I made my bed, aligned my couch cushions, organized the magazines and newspapers on my coffee table… I couldn't stop. It was so bad I began to wonder if she'd think I was a closet homosexual.

Then the doorbell rang. I sprinted to the door and yanked it open. She looked beautiful, but I could see in her eyes that she'd been having just as shitty a time as I had.

"I really don't want to embarrass myself, so I'm just going to ask one thing," she said, and smiled slightly. "Are you and I the only ones here?"

"Yes," I grinned.

"Good," she replied, and in the next second she was on me. She jumped into my arms, wrapped her legs around my waist, her arms around my neck, and kissed me like I'd just gotten back from war. I kicked the door shut and kissed her back hard as I pressed her up against it.

"I love you so much," she said, and I began to trail kissed down her slender neck so she could say what she needed to. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you away."

I nipped at her neck when she said that. "Damn right you shouldn't have. And I should have told you the truth about myself a long time ago. I'm sorry too."

Her hand moved from my neck to my face, and she lovingly stroked my cheek with her thumb.

"I understand why you didn't tell me. I was being ridiculous about everything. When you're with a man for almost two years and you find out one day that he hid an entire other life from you, you kind of have trust issues."

"That's exactly why I should have told you," I said. I'd done a lot of thinking, and I realized the gravity of what had happened to her, the affect it had on her ability to rely on someone, to trust. Simply loving someone was probably extremely hard for her.

"Hold up. We need to stop this blaming ourselves thing. I think it's safe to say we both know what went wrong and we're both sorry we acted like idiots, me more than you. But this all happened for a reason, I have to believe that."

I smiled at her for what she said. I didn't think it was possible to love her more.

"Does this mean you're my girlfriend now?" I asked.

"Only if you are my boyfriend."

About fucking time. I kissed her again until she began to grind her hips against me. If we weren't naked soon I would explode.

"Couch?" I asked since it was what we were used to, and also the closest piece of furniture.

"Bedroom," she said.

"You sure?" I asked. I knew her connection with a bedroom and intimacy.

"Yes, just grab my purse first. The last magnum is in there," she smiled. Oh, we would definitely be needing that. I'd have to go buy more after we finished. I set Sookie on her feet and watched as she fished the condom out of her purse before standing back up and kissing me again.

"Where to?" she asked.

"Allow me," I said as gallantly as possible, and swept her off her feet. As I carried her to my bedroom she ran her fingers through my hair and kissed my neck. I didn't want her to stop because it felt so right, but when we finally got to my room I laid her gently on the bed.

"So, this is my room," I said as I climbed on top of her. She sat up a bit, resting on her elbows as she looked around the room, taking all the details in.

"I think it's time you told me what you really do for a living," she said, her eyes wide.

I laughed and ran a hand up and under her shirt where I skillfully unclasped her bra.

"I'll explain later," I said as I pulled off her shirt, and then her bra. "It's been too long."

"I won't argue." She unbuttoned my jeans, her fingers brushed against my erection as she did, and within the next minute we had each other completely naked, and I found myself between her legs.

"I've missed this," I mumbled, mostly to myself, and then my mouth was on her, licking, sucking, and nibbling hungrily until she came. Before she even came down from her high I was looking for the condom.

"It's on the bed somewhere," she said, and began helping me look. I was so horny I was ready to tear the mattress in half to find the damn thing, and I finally had the sense to look on the floor. It was under my discarded jeans.

"Aha!" I exclaimed when I picked it up.

"Oh, thank god!"

"I could have ran to the store to get some if we didn't find it," I said as I rolled the condom on.

"With an erection like this?" she asked, wrapping her hand around it while I suppressed a groan.

"Okay, maybe you would have had to go get them," I said. I settled on top of her again allowing my hardness to tease her entrance.

"I guess it's a good thing we found it then, huh?" She kept moving her hips, trying to get me to surge forward, so I continued to stay put. I loved the look on her face when she wanted it, but I also wanted this time to be different.

I kissed her then, slowly, sweetly, sensually, trying to show her just how much I loved her, how relieved I was that she'd called.

"I love you," I said, and then I slowly pushed into her, relishing in the way she gasped, then moaned.

My mind drifted back to the last time we we'd had sex, which was against a wall, and while that had been great, this was phenomenal. This was the first time we were making love instead of fucking, and there was a hell of a difference. I loved taking my sweet time with her, slowly thrusting, memorizing every last detail of how she felt, how she reacted. It was perfect, all the way to the very end.

After we'd come back down to earth and I'd come back from disposing of the condom, Sookie snuggled right up to me willingly.

"Oh, so _now_ you want to cuddle," I teased her.

"Yes I do, and you'd better get used to it," she said, and I chuckled as I pulled her closer.

"I think now it's time you told me what it is you do for a living."

"I suppose it is," I said. I scooted down in the bed and turned to face her. "I don't actually do anything."

She raised an eyebrow. "You expect me to believe that?"

"Yes," I smiled. "I got trust fund money from my mother, along with her life insurance, and that alone could allow me to live comfortable for quite a while."

"But not live in a house like this with no job," she observed.

"No. This was my father's house. He owned several businesses in the area, and made quite a lot of money. In order for me to take over all of it, he made me get a job when I was a teenager. He said he wanted me to understand what a real job was like so that I wouldn't take the things I had for granted. I worked in a grocery store for a while, and a fast-food restaurant, and then when I turned eighteen I started working for UPS. My dad was good friends with the guy who runs the local branch."

"How long did you work for UPS? You're what… twenty-six or something? Oh goodness, I don't even know your age," she said, and a blush came up on her cheeks before she buried her face into her pillow.

"I worked for them for six years, and I'm now twenty-eight," I said. "And don't be embarrassed. I don't know how old you are either."

She lifted her head again. "How did we fell in love if we don't even know the most basic things about each other?"

"Because we did," I said. It was as simple as that. "We have plenty of time to learn the other stuff."

She smiled. "I'm twenty-five. Now keep going with your story."

"I worked for UPS for six years, and then my father died of a heart attack so I quit to take care of everything. I received life insurance from him, and all of his investments fell to my name as well as all of his businesses. Pretty much the only work I do is a monthly visit to the businesses to make sure everything is running smoothly. I have a good friend that's an accountant who keeps track of all the books, and there's a trusty manager at each one. I just kind of sit back and make money."

"If I didn't know you, I'd call you a pompous ass."

"Yeah, I probably would too," I laughed.

"I have a question," she said.

"Okay."

"The last time we saw each other you asked me if I didn't want to be with you because of your job. That didn't strike me as odd then, but it does now. Is there some history there?"

"Yes," I said, surprised that she'd picked up on it.

"Will you tell me about it?"

"I had a girlfriend when I was working for UPS. Not the entire time, just towards the last six months or so. She knew who my father was, and she assumed I was just one of those kids who would never have to work and go work with their parent. I think she thought that I was being rebellious in my working as a delivery driver, that I would reject anything my father gave me. So she always pushed for me to quit driving, and go to college for business or something. When I refused, she broke up with me."

"Did you care for her?"

"Yes, in the beginning. Then she showed what she was really like, so it didn't hurt when she ended it. It just showed me that I'd have to be careful about who I dated. A few months later my father died, and it wasn't until she got wind that I would be taking control of everything did she try to _comfort_ me."

"I'm sorry you had to deal with a woman like that," she frowned.

"It was more than just her. These last four years have been filled with women that only want the money I have." It was only when she answered that I realized I should have chosen my words more wisely.

"Filled, huh?"

"I'm not a whore, Sookie. I didn't say I dated all of them, there were just a lot of women who hit on me for my money."

"How many women have you been with?" she asked.

Easy. "Seven, including you," I said. I wasn't lying about not being a whore. "What about you?"

"You already know the answer to that," she huffed.

"The ex, and me?" I asked, astonished. I thought for sure that there had been someone before him.

"Yes, I didn't have men hit on me all the time for my money," she said, and rolled over.

"Oh hell no, you are not going to get mad at me for having a higher number than you. It's only seven, Sookie. That's practically a virgin these days." Hell, even when I went to high school kids were lucky to graduate with only that many partners. I spooned her, and wrapped an arm around her so I could pull her tight against me. "Why are you upset?"

"I don't know. I just don't want to think about you with other women, especially after we just made love for the first time."

"You asked," I said, and she sighed. "I've never loved anyone but you, Sookie. None of those girls lasted because I didn't care for them very deeply. They always got comfortable and then let their true colors show."

"And what if you haven't seen my true colors yet?" she asked.

"I think I have. Even in the very beginning I could tell that you weren't the kind of woman to have a no strings kind of thing. You had no idea who I was, and you didn't care what I did for a living. I know that you're kind and generous just from looking into your eyes. I love you, Sookie. That's not going to change."

She turned in my arms and planted a kiss on my neck.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I know I'm being ridiculous again, and I suppose you'll just have to get used to that because I seem to have made it a habit with you."

"It's okay, but I reserve the right to always call you out on it," I said, and I meant it.

"Deal," she laughed, a sound I couldn't wait to hear more often in my house.


	6. I Believe In Happy Endings

**A/N:**

**Hey everyone! Thanks for sticking through to the end of this. I had a blast writing it, and I hope everyone enjoyed reading it. As a bonus for getting through all the rehash in this story, I've added a little epilogue to the end of this that wasn't in Sign Here. Hope you like it!**

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**Chapter 6 - I Believe In Happy Endings**

A year and a half later I was at Sookie's house helping her pack. I'd known I wanted her to live with me about three weeks after we'd officially become a couple. She had stayed the night, and I woke to find her fixing me breakfast in my kitchen, wearing nothing but one of my button-up shirts. I hadn't been able to stop myself, and fucked her on the kitchen table before she finished cooking. After that I knew I wanted her to live with me, but I waited. I knew she wasn't ready for a big step, and honestly, it was just smarter to wait and see how things developed.

When Pam and I finalized plans to open our own bar, I knew it was time. I would be working more, and unless she lived with me, we would hardly get to see each other. Well, those were the reasons Pam gave me for asking her. For me they were just simple justifications for acting on the feelings that had only grown stronger. I wanted Sookie to live in my home, and I wanted her to be my wife.

Ecstatic doesn't even begin to describe what I was feeling when she said yes, even with her stipulations about keeping her house. I set up how to propose to her the next day. I put my mother's ring in a small velvet box that didn't look like a ring box so she wouldn't guess what it was right away. That went into a box with a note, and I set it aside until I knew the right day.

Today was that day.

Sookie and I had come a long way. When we first started with our relationship we took our time, dated, got to know the finer details about one another. Sookie tried to make a no-sex rule until we could name ten personal things about each other's childhood, but I got so horny that I threw on my UPS uniform (thank fuck I'd kept it) and drove to Sookie's house to deliver her a list of seven things about her childhood. That ended up being plenty.

Before we began doing any packing, I insisted that we fuck on the kitchen counter since, somehow, we'd never managed to do it there. After that was done and we were both satisfied, we actually got to work. We packed her bedroom first since she was going to start staying with me right away, and by the time the afternoon rolled around we had her bedroom all done and most of the living room.

The counter sex did a lot to take the edge off of my nervousness, but as the day wore on it came back full force. I was going to ask Sookie to be my wife. It got to the point that I was just going through the motions of the packing, and glancing at the clock. The package should have arrived already.

"Are you having second thoughts?" Sookie asked suddenly with tears in her eyes, and my heart felt like it stopped beating.

"What? No!" I stared at her, and realized that she was as nervous and upset as I was, but it seemed for different reasons. "Are you?" I asked, suddenly feeling sick to my stomach.

"No!"

A small amount of relief washed over me. "Then why would you ask me something like that?"

"Because the more we pack, the more nervous you get, and you keep looking at the door like you want to leave." Fuck, I could see how she would take all that wrong. "I'm serious, Eric. If you're having doubts you need to tell me now."

She was shaking when I pulled her into my arms and I felt like an idiot. "No, honey, that's not why I'm nervous."

I felt wetness on my shirt and felt like an ass in addition to being an idiot.

"Then tell me why. You're scaring me."

"I…" I began, but didn't know what to say. I couldn't tell her the real reason without ruining the plan, but I couldn't lie to her either. Sookie pulled back and looked at me expectantly, and then there was a knock on the door.

Thank. Fuck.

Sookie wasn't as relieved, and stomped to the door. A moment later I heard the door slam and Sookie came back to the living room with the package. My nervousness came back full force.

"Were you expecting something?" I asked.

"No," she said, looking more than a bit confused and annoyed. She walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table with a knife to open it. She pulled out the small box, and read the note.

"The note says to give this to you," she said as she handed me the box.

I turned the box over in my hand a few times, took a deep breath, and got down on one knee. Realization passed over her face immediately, and I was hit with a burst of confidence. I opened the box and held it in front of her.

"We didn't begin this relationship of ours in the most conventional of ways, but it worked for us. I've been in love with you for two amazing years, and I want to love you for many, many more. Sookie Stackhouse, will you marry me?"

She had tears, happy ones, streaming down her face by the time I'd finished my little speech.

"Yes," she said, and I pulled her from the chair so I could kiss her.

"I love you so much," I said when we finally broke apart, and picked the box up from where I'd dropped it on the floor. I pulled the ring out and slid in onto the ring finger of her left hand. "Perfect."

"It's beautiful," she said, admiring it.

"It was my mother's. Part of her letter to me said that I was to give it to the woman I could see myself with when we both had no teeth."

"She actually wrote that?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes, she did," I laughed.

"I think I would have loved your mother," she said, her eyes glistening again.

"No tears," I said, and wiped her cheeks with my thumbs.

"Is this what you were so nervous about?"

"Yes, it was. I have no idea what I would have told you if he hadn't shown up at that moment. I really thought you were going to break up with me for a minute there."

"I thought that's just what _you_ were about to do," she said.

"We're a couple of idiots," I laughed, and she laughed with me.

"Yes, we are," she smiled.

"What do you say we go celebrate this in the bedroom? Our last tryst in this house."

"I think that's a marvelous idea," she agreed, and we both stood up. "Are you going to carry me back to the bedroom and be romantic?"

I snorted. "Hell no. I'm going to claim what's mine."

With a manly grunt I bent and grabbed her around her thighs, tossing her over my shoulder as I stood back up. I slapped her on the ass and carried her back to the bedroom while she giggled.

I claimed her as mine on that bed. My lover, my best friend, my fiancé, my partner in life and love.

And when she became my wife, I would claim her all over again.

**Three years later…**

I was in my office going through some last-minute e-mail when the doorbell rang. Sookie was still in the shower, so I went to answer it. A UPS truck was driving away, and there was a small brown box on the porch addressed to me in Sookie's handwriting. With a smile, I brought it into my office and waited until she came out to open it.

We'd made it a tradition to send each other things via UPS. It could have been anything, but since we were about to go away on a vacation for our second anniversary I was betting that it was an anniversary present.

Sookie and I had nearly a year-long engagement so that Pam and I could focus on getting the bar stable. We got married just a couple weeks before what Sookie referred to as our fuckaversary, a term she claims to have read on the internet in some of that fanfiction she was into. It was the anniversary of the first time we fucked, naturally. I almost liked celebrating that anniversary more than the one of our marriage, but we managed to bleed the two together. We would leave the day before our marriage anniversary, and be gone for two weeks, coming back home the day after our fuckaversary. Last year we went to Sweden since I hadn't been since I was a little boy, but this year we were going to Hawaii.

When Sookie came into my office her hair was damp and she was wearing a tank top and some lounge pants. She was halfway to my desk when she spotted the box.

"Is that…"

"UPS just delivered it," I said.

"Have you opened it yet?" she asked, and she seemed a bit nervous.

"Nope, but I'm about to. I wanted to wait for you."

"Oh. Um, go ahead then," she said.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Nope, I just hope you like it."

I stood up and walked around my desk to where she was standing. I put my hands on her waist and gave her a light kiss.

"I'll love it, and I love you," I said, and then I turned around and picked up my letter opener, slicing the tape on the box open with it.

I opened the box and removed the packing material. There was what looked like a shirt wrapped in plastic, so I ripped the plastic open and pulled the material out. Only it wasn't a shirt… at least not a shirt for a person my size. There were three pieces; a tiny brown hat with the UPS logo on it, a little pair of brown shorts, and a teeny brown button up shirt that said "special delivery" on the back. I didn't realize I was crying until I saw a wet spot form on the shirt.

"Eric?" Sookie asked behind me.

I turned to look at her, still holding the outfit meant for a baby in my hands. I could tell that she didn't know what to think of my tears, and it made me sad that she thought I would be upset about something like this.

"Really?" I asked. "We're really pregnant?"

Her eyes welled up too as she nodded, and I had her in my arms in an instant, the clothes still clutched in my hands. We hadn't been trying, but I didn't care.

"I've known for a week, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I wanted to tell you in a special way, and then I got nervous because we haven't been married that long, and I…"

I cut off her rambling before she made herself upset.

"We've been together for almost six years, and I love you more every day. I don't give a shit about statistics on this stuff, I love you, and I already love our baby. We're going to be parents, Sook. I'm gonna be a daddy. I can't even begin to explain how happy this makes me."

"I love you," she said, smiling through her tears.

"I love you too," I said, and then I lifted her up and spun her in a circle before setting her down again. I set the baby clothes back on the desk, and dragged Sookie to the bedroom.

"What are you doing?" she laughed.

"The same thing I did when you agreed to be my girlfriend, my fiancé, and then my wife. I'm claiming you, and then we're going to call Pam and tell her she's going to be an aunt. But first, I'm claiming you."

"Well, okay then," she laughed. It was the sound I'd wanted in my home for a long time, and I never tired of hearing it.


End file.
